I want to buy a new headphone in next friday (Black friday ).I'm looking for full headphones. Let's assume that the best deal I would find is 50% off so I would like you to give me a list of ~200$ good quality headphone that I could choose from next friday.

The store should be in the USA so I would be able to use on of those "buy in the usa, ship elsewhere" services.

Why people drop $100+ on headphones which consist of some magnets, wire, and some plastic is beyond me. These same people will shop around to save $5 on the $50 device playing the music using compressed audio streams or compressed files as the source, or playback on a smart phone. To me I see headphones as a status symbol these days. Dr. Dre or whoever, those products plain SUCK, yet people buy them. At one time I could purchase amazing Sony earphones for $40 10 years ago. Now they dumbed down their line and are pumping out crap at that price range to encourage those who care into the over-priced hype line. Grrr....

First get a good source, then plug in some good earphones.As usual, I am sure there are exceptions to the rule, as many here likely are, but from the young adults I have met, $200 earphones plugged into a $100 portable music player with terrible output.

At least the headphones mentioned on this thread are good, I just am not sure they are $150 good.

Ha Ha. Well it is easy to fall in such a trap if you aren't careful, a lot in the same way that companies market "gamer headsets" with awful quality at a premium. But it all comes from the iPod, and now that music players are integrated into smartphones, headphones are the primary method most people use to listen to music.

On the specific topic of source versus headphone, since most audio is digital now, a $100 dollar device, the DAC in your smartphone, or the audio output of your PC is "good enough" to enjoy, so getting a ~$200 pair of headphones that sound great and fit well are the best value for improvement. At least that's my opinion.

Not to keep plugging them...but since you pointed out celebrity headphones, so here's an article reviewing a bunch of them. It's a fun read.

Anyway, back to the thread topic. I recently picked up the Audio Technica ATH-M50 headphones for $130, and I've been liking them a lot. I chose the straight cable over the coiled one.

"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP"

liquidsquid wrote:Why people drop $100+ on headphones which consist of some magnets, wire, and some plastic is beyond me. These same people will shop around to save $5 on the $50 device playing the music using compressed audio streams or compressed files as the source, or playback on a smart phone. To me I see headphones as a status symbol these days. Dr. Dre or whoever, those products plain SUCK, yet people buy them. At one time I could purchase amazing Sony earphones for $40 10 years ago. Now they dumbed down their line and are pumping out crap at that price range to encourage those who care into the over-priced hype line. Grrr....

First get a good source, then plug in some good earphones.As usual, I am sure there are exceptions to the rule, as many here likely are, but from the young adults I have met, $200 earphones plugged into a $100 portable music player with terrible output.

At least the headphones mentioned on this thread are good, I just am not sure they are $150 good.

superjawes wrote:Ha Ha. Well it is easy to fall in such a trap if you aren't careful, a lot in the same way that companies market "gamer headsets" with awful quality at a premium. But it all comes from the iPod, and now that music players are integrated into smartphones, headphones are the primary method most people use to listen to music.

On the specific topic of source versus headphone, since most audio is digital now, a $100 dollar device, the DAC in your smartphone, or the audio output of your PC is "good enough" to enjoy, so getting a ~$200 pair of headphones that sound great and fit well are the best value for improvement. At least that's my opinion.

Not to keep plugging them...but since you pointed out celebrity headphones, so here's an article reviewing a bunch of them. It's a fun read.

The target device is my PC so the input quality should be OK.I agree with both of you about this subject and I hope I won't fall in the trap.

The vast majority of the world's best headphones are open-back. But they are terrible at blocking external sound. I have the AKG k702 headphones myself, and they're really great (especially for the price), but they'd be terrible on the subway, for example.

If I was on a budget, I'd purchased Grado headphones, perhaps the sr60i or the sr80i. Grado headphones are not world class, at least not those models, but they sound ridiculously good for the price. Yes, they're ugly. Deal with it, because they sound great. A lot of people really like Sennheisers. They're not my preferred flavor, but some models are good. As Stickem recommended, check out the forums at head-fi.org if you want to see comprehensive comparisons or if you want to get more personalized advice. A lot of those guys

Don't buy celebrity brands. They're trash, even if they cost $300-500. Don't buy the typical "high end" brands like Bose for the same reason. You're just paying for marketing and image; they're overpriced fashion accessories, like a Gucci purse. Stay away from gamer headsets unless you really need the attached mic: I searched high and low for ones reviewed for the best sound at a reasonable price, and they still sound just dreadful.

Getting a good pair of headphones for use with your computer should improve your sound dramatically, especially if you are listening to lightly compressed or uncompressed music. Getting an acceptable sound card like those found in the Tech Report System Builders articles will help some, although a dedicated DAC/headphone amplifier combo will improve the sound even further. But you can get the headphones now and a DAC/amp combo later.

I'm sorry to say, but it's unlikely that quality headphones will be discounted for Black Friday. Just do the best you can, like the Grado headphones.

liquidsquid wrote:Why people drop $100+ on headphones which consist of some magnets, wire, and some plastic is beyond me.

And it will stay that way until you actually get to experience your favorite music through a premium set of headphones that you like. If you aren't really into music or your preferred kind of music doesn't work well for you with headphones, then I guess you'll just have to take our word for it that there is definitely a lot to be gained from buying $100+ headphones. Me, I bought myself Sennheiser HD595's a long time ago and even though I really don't use them a lot anymore, they were worth every damn cent and then some.

edit: Tharbad, to answer your question, if you're looking for a headset, that is, headphones with a microphone, then I can personally recommend the Sennheiser PC 330 "G4ME" headphones. I can't say much about other headsets, but I can tell you that I'm very happy with these.

The first discovery of "fidelity" for most people is extended bass and extended treble compared to the bandwidth-limited sound of a small radio. But if a little is a good thing, a lot is even better, right? So these intrepid consumers go overboard with speakers and headphones that offer lots of sizzle and boom. Excessive sizzle and boom. And I think it sounds pretty gross. (Likewise, tuning up a flat string on a guitar is an improvement to a point, but if you keep going, it gets worse again. Likewise, a cooked steak is much better than raw, but a burnt steak is bad too. Everything in moderation, everything in balance.)

Good headphones can produce the high and low frequencies, but they do so in balance with the rest of the frequencies. Good headphones sound natural, in that the singers and instruments sound less like they are being played through a speaker and more like they are real. And good headphones simply sound clear: they reveal the distinct tones of different instruments that define them, reveal the details and instruments quieter in the songs that you never noticed before, help you pick out different pitches in music more easily, help you differentiate between similar speaking voices, etc.

The common example is that when you switch from bad speakers to good speakers (or from bad headphones to good headphones), the bad speakers sound like they have a bed-sheet in front of them, and then you pull away the sheet when you hear the good speakers. The detail and precision is so important, and once you hear it and appreciate it, you never want to go back. And it's not false detail through extra loud high frequencies, it's real detail from quality parts.

If this is all elementary to you, I apologize. If this is new to you, I strongly encourage you to listen to headphones that aren't all about marketing and fashion and sizzle-n-boom. The difference is wonderful, and it's a shame so few know what they could have.

liquidsquid wrote:Why people drop $100+ on headphones which consist of some magnets, wire, and some plastic is beyond me. These same people will shop around to save $5 on the $50 device playing the music using compressed audio streams or compressed files as the source, or playback on a smart phone. To me I see headphones as a status symbol these days. Dr. Dre or whoever, those products plain SUCK, yet people buy them. At one time I could purchase amazing Sony earphones for $40 10 years ago. Now they dumbed down their line and are pumping out crap at that price range to encourage those who care into the over-priced hype line. Grrr....

First get a good source, then plug in some good earphones.As usual, I am sure there are exceptions to the rule, as many here likely are, but from the young adults I have met, $200 earphones plugged into a $100 portable music player with terrible output.

At least the headphones mentioned on this thread are good, I just am not sure they are $150 good.

In general the headphone market has never been better. Yea there are a lot of awful headphones out there, designed to be fashion accessories. But because the demand has grown so dramatically over the last 6-7 years it has also greatly benefited companies focused on sound quality. You can still buy a great sounding $40 Sony headphone too, they just don't send those units to your local Best Buy. And the numerous other tremendous $100 and under options. It does require more research though because there are so many options.

Anyway, Tharbad needs to tell us what he wants from the headphones in order to get good recommendations. My personal favorite $200 and under headphone is the Sennheiser HD25-1 II, though they are not full sized. I've also really enjoyed the Shure SRH840 and for a bit cheaper the Audio Technica ATH-M50 is great too. I strongly prefer closed headphones because I rarely find myself in an environment where open headphones wouldn't be problematic. All depends on your needs.

As you are going to be using this at a computer, I'm assuming that you'll be targeting full-size headphones? If so, it's important to decide between open and closed ear cups. This is a gross generalization (ie, not always true) but open headphones of similar quality will tend to give you a bit more accuracy and provide a more life-like and airy sound. Closed headphones, on the other hand, will generally give you a bit more bass due to pressurization of the ear cup and perhaps provide a bit more "colored" sound. That said, there are very good open and closed headphones, but for life-like, accurate reproduction of most music, higher-end headphone choices tend to gravitate toward open designs. The main downside of open headphones are that they don't block out sound, making using them in a noisy environment, or one where you don't want to disturb those around you, less than ideal.

Amazon currently has the Audio-Technica A700X close headphones on for $111, which is a pretty decent price for these.

The Sennheiser HD-558 would probably be my choice for an open set of headphones in this price range, though I've never heard them.

Both these picks are based on my experience with other headphones in these lines (ie, Audio Technica A900 and Sennheiser HD 650). While they obviously won't sound identical, other listeners have commented that many aspects of the sound signature carries over.

I reiterate my suggestion, get the HD 558.I honestly tried to find something better for the price, but I failed. I tested them personally against many others, both cheaper and more expensive, in a regular store using the same source. The only reason why I didn't get them is because I already have the HD 595, which I believe are no longer sold today.

I just got off the phone with them looking for a pair of headphones with a detachable/replaceable cord for my daughter (current pair out of action due to cord issues) and the guy on the phone quickly sent me to a sub $100 option that appears to be perfect.

I'm not a fan of Beyerdynamic headphones myself. Comfortable, but not superb sounding.

Absolutely, the Grado headphones do get better as the price scales.

I was checking the headphone sales on Amazon for you, Tharbad, and saw a sale on the AKG Q701. Apparently, it is a different flavor of the exact headphones I have. Someone on head-fi.org compared them side by side and found the sound to be very similar (extremely detailed and accurate and natural), except that the Q701 had a bit more bass and a bit more midrange warmth. If you had to criticize the k702 (which I love dearly), it would be that they are a little light on the bass, and a little too sterile in the mids. In which case this new flavor could be just perfect. Based on that comparison, I'd recommend the k702 headphones if you like classical and acoustic folk music more, and the Q701 if you're more inclined towards R&B, pop, rock, etc. It looks like the Q701 was released at $400, spent a lot of time at $300, a long sale at $240, back up to $300, and now it is on sale for $220 at Amazon. In my opinion, these are great headphones at $300 a pair, so $220 is icing on the cake. (And the k702 is $290 right now on Amazon.)

Good headphones sound good. But when you add a decent headphone amplifier, it's not just about going louder, but about having more detail, more powerful and tuneful bass, and sounding more natural. Get a good pair of headphones, the AKG Q701 (or k702) if you can afford them. Then think about a headphone amplifier/DAC combo for your next purchase in a few months.

Milo Burke and Firestarter: The computer is emitting ~20dba on standby and ~45dba in games. As far as I'v read about open vs close, close are better in this case. I don't intend to fall in the "premium gamer headset trap, pay a lot of money get moderate quality" so no headset is required.

Milo Burke: About the sound card. My current card is integrated HD Audio - VIA VT2021. Is it good enough so I would notice the difference between the new headphones to my current (Silverline XT-HS75MV)?

Last edited by Tharbad on Mon Nov 25, 2013 3:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Meadows wrote:I reiterate my suggestion, get the HD 558.I honestly tried to find something better for the price, but I failed. I tested them personally against many others, both cheaper and more expensive, in a regular store using the same source. The only reason why I didn't get them is because I already have the HD 595, which I believe are no longer sold today.

Same here. I have the HD555's, which I selected for a number of reasons, but here's two- the open circumaural design allows for a well balanced soundstage and provides excellent isolation for positional audio. They sound great for gaming, music, and movies, without being overly 'bassy' or shrill, they're easy to drive, and they're comfortable to wear for extended periods.

liquidsquid wrote:Why people drop $100+ on headphones which consist of some magnets, wire, and some plastic is beyond me.

Because, like anything else, there are right ways and wrong ways to assemble those bits into a functional product, and the wrong way will produce a significantly inferior output. The commercial success of Beats by Dre and the "made for iPod" soup du jour can certainly make a person cynical, but there are good headphones out there, and good headphones have always been a pricey device.

Even relatively cheap headphones can have a wide response range and high sensitivity because the close and cloistered listening chamber allows a large, thin membrane to respond across the full audio band with minimal power input. However, take a look at the response curves for various headphones (if the manufacturer has even published it) and you can see some significant deviations that explain why different headphone models can have a significant deviation in tonal character.

Also, the quality of DACs in the latest generations of portable audio players and smartphones has been getting, and staying, remarkably good. The bad old days of having twenty different DACs on the market, and 4/5 of them being total garbage, have mostly ended.

I'm using vintage Sennheiser HD430 headphones on my gaming PC. One of the big pluses is that they are very comfortable. If you're planning to wear your headphones for marathon gaming sessions, you may want to look for some that are comfortable to wear as well as providing great sound.

Tharbad wrote:Milo Burke and Firestarter: The computer is emitting ~20dba on standby and ~45dba in games. As far as I'v read about open vs close, close are better in this case. I don't intend to fall in the "premium gamer headset trap, pay a lot of money get moderate quality" so no headset is required.

Milo Burke: About the sound card. My current card is integrated HD Audio - VIA VT2021. Is it good enough so I would notice the difference between the new headphones to my current (Silverline XT-HS75MV)?

I think you'd really like the Audio Technica ATH-M50. They're full sized and closed. They don't need an amp to shine but you'll definitely see benefits in upgrading your source. They're really well balanced from lows to highs, there is some punch to the bass. Sound quality wise my only knock is the soundstage isn't great, but it's a reasonably priced closed headphone... you can't expect miracles. Plus they're built like a tank and comfortable.

liquidsquid wrote:Why people drop $100+ on headphones which consist of some magnets, wire, and some plastic is beyond me.

And it will stay that way until you actually get to experience your favorite music through a premium set of headphones that you like. If you aren't really into music or your preferred kind of music doesn't work well for you with headphones, then I guess you'll just have to take our word for it that there is definitely a lot to be gained from buying $100+ headphones. Me, I bought myself Sennheiser HD595's a long time ago and even though I really don't use them a lot anymore, they were worth every damn cent and then some.

edit: Tharbad, to answer your question, if you're looking for a headset, that is, headphones with a microphone, then I can personally recommend the Sennheiser PC 330 "G4ME" headphones. I can't say much about other headsets, but I can tell you that I'm very happy with these.

Actually I am really into audio and quality sound, and I have to say I have some dinosaur earphones that were "audophile" back in the 80's that I use. They are old monster-sized Sony headsets. I love them due to the large diaphragm, the very large padded diameter opening that doesn't squash my ears and their extremely level sound and DEEP bass, rated to something like 15Hz @-3dB. The noise cancelling was due to bulk and padding!

I cannot find headphones that come close these days, they are all dinky or over the top expensive. At the time, I think these were around $60. Probably today's dollars of $120 or so.

The computer is emitting ~20dba on standby and ~45dba in games. As far as I'v read about open vs close, close are better in this case. I don't intend to fall in the "premium gamer headset trap, pay a lot of money get moderate quality" so no headset is required.

Unless you normally listen to headphones at really low levels, 45db or less of white noise probably won't be enough of a distraction to make too much difference. I'm in the same boat with my computer and don't have any issues using open headphones.

Things to worry about are noises like people watching TV/talking in the same room, etc. (Or, of course, bother other people who are doing those activities).

The computer is emitting ~20dba on standby and ~45dba in games. As far as I'v read about open vs close, close are better in this case. I don't intend to fall in the "premium gamer headset trap, pay a lot of money get moderate quality" so no headset is required.

Unless you normally listen to headphones at really low levels, 45db or less of white noise probably won't be enough of a distraction to make too much difference. I'm in the same boat with my computer and don't have any issues using open headphones.

Things to worry about are noises like people watching TV/talking in the same room, etc. (Or, of course, bother other people who are doing those activities).

As long as you don't fall for the '290x's fan isn't that loud!' trap, you'll be fine with open cans. Note that for gaming, you want detailed bass- not overpowering bass. A hyper bass curve will work to reduce isolation and erode the accuracy of positioning, which is something that open cans are better at avoiding, especially in the 'value' segment.

Milo Burke wrote:If I was on a budget, I'd purchased Grado headphones, perhaps the sr60i or the sr80i. Grado headphones are not world class, at least not those models, but they sound ridiculously good for the price. Yes, they're ugly. Deal with it, because they sound great. A lot of people really like Sennheisers. They're not my preferred flavor, but some models are good.

Having used both Grados and Sennheisers, my personal experience was that the circular design of the Grados pressed my ears into my head and became painful with prolonged use. Obviously this is not a problem for everyone (I don't have particularly endowed lobes or anything), but thought it was worth mentioning. Meanwhile, I love my Senn HD555 headset.

Echo the open back recommendation, but they are not suitable for all uses/people. They don't block outside noise, and bystanders will hear a tinny version of what you're listening to, so if you need something for commuting, public listening, or so as not to disturb a spouse/flatmate late at night, open back headphones won't work for you.

Tharbad wrote:Milo Burke and Firestarter: The computer is emitting ~20dba on standby and ~45dba in games. As far as I'v read about open vs close, close are better in this case.

You won't really notice your computer with open headphones unless it's a loud one. For example, the stock blower on my HD7950 was very annoying with my Sennheiser HD595's, but after switching that out for a big cooler it really doesn't bother me. The big difference is that all the *other* sound also comes through with almost 0 damping, for example neighbors or girlfriends/wifes/kids watching TV or playing games of their own. With closed-back headphones, that noise will be far more muted when you're playing a game, which can be a good or a bad thing. Most open headphones offer better quality when compared to closed headphones in the same price bracket, and you may find it more comfortable not to be so isolated, so definitely do take them into consideration.

Tharbad wrote:I don't intend to fall in the "premium gamer headset trap, pay a lot of money get moderate quality" so no headset is required.

You'll note that the headset I recommended is a Sennheiser, like the headphones I have. Sennheiser is a premium brand and you definitely pay for the brand, as it were, but they produce quality audio gear for consumers and professionals, including top of the line headphones *and microphones*. I just wanted to say that I am happy with my Sennheiser PC 330 "G4ME" headset and that I *don't* feel like I paid a lot of money to get moderate quality. Yes, they're not cheap, but headphones are of good quality and so is the microphone. I haven't bothered putting on my HD595's for a while, and that's saying something. Now, that is not to say that you won't be better off with just headphones instead of headphones+microphone if you just *never* need a microphone, but if you do want to use a microphone sometime sooner or later, I would recommend a headset anyway.

I used to play with just my HD595's and a cheap microphone on a stand for my VOIP needs, and that worked plenty well. However, the microphone was always in the way and it picked up a lot more than just my voice. Now, with a proper headset, my girlfriend can be watching TV in the same room (and the TV less than 50cm away from my head) without my buddies on teamspeak being bothered by the TV! I don't even need to use push-to-talk! I'm sure that there are a lot of headsets out there for similar money that will work just as well, I just chose to stick with what I know because I've been very happy with Sennheiser's products so far (HD595's, HD 25-1's, PX100's). If you get normal headphones, you can still get a clip-on microphone (like this one: http://amzn.com/B00029MTMQ ), but I think you'd be just as happy with a good headset.

Last edited by Firestarter on Mon Nov 25, 2013 6:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

liquidsquid wrote:Why people drop $100+ on headphones which consist of some magnets, wire, and some plastic is beyond me. These same people will shop around to save $5 on the $50 device playing the music using compressed audio streams or compressed files as the source, or playback on a smart phone. To me I see headphones as a status symbol these days. Dr. Dre or whoever, those products plain SUCK, yet people buy them. At one time I could purchase amazing Sony earphones for $40 10 years ago. Now they dumbed down their line and are pumping out crap at that price range to encourage those who care into the over-priced hype line. Grrr....

First get a good source, then plug in some good earphones.As usual, I am sure there are exceptions to the rule, as many here likely are, but from the young adults I have met, $200 earphones plugged into a $100 portable music player with terrible output.

At least the headphones mentioned on this thread are good, I just am not sure they are $150 good.

You have a bit of a point with all the compressed audio out there. Nonetheless, you can only control what you can control. Not all my music is highly compressed and the songs where my headset can maximize them are well worth the money spent for the headset.

I remember a little experiment I played with my girlfriend where I compared my sennheiser HD 600s to a 10 dollar, over ear closed headset I bought from marshalls (a clothing store). The song was a rich vocal piece by the yeah yeah yeahs. With the 10 dollar set, it literally sounds like the person is singing whilst being underwater in a pool. Dull, flat tones. No feeling, no bass. You put the hd 600s on and its crystal clear. Take them off and its again singing in water.

You only need to buy a headset once and you should be set for life. I bought an HD 650 set 3 years ago and they are still rocking strong. I bought my gf a HD 280 set 5 years ago and they still look new to this day.

BTW, in the headset community, Dr Dre's beats headset are considered a total joke for the money they ask for. A complete joke.

Sunburn74 wrote:BTW, in the headset community, Dr Dre's beats headset are considered a total joke for the money they ask for. A complete joke.

This needs to be quoted again: The "Beats" brand is extremely overpriced. Sure, I bet they are not half bad, but compared to any headphones in a similar price bracket, they're completely outclassed in every way by the high-end offerings of multiple headphone manufacturers with decades of experience.